Food Connectivity: An Interview with Saaya Khemlani

Saaya Khemlani, a Johnson & Wales undergraduate student, describes her culture as a “melting pot of diverse cultures.” There isn’t just one culture that really dominates others. Rather, many shine through, such as African, Indian, and Spanish. All of these cultures mixed together make this “one diverse culture that is Trinidad and Tobago,” says Khemlani. With all these diverse cultures, Khemlani shares that many people come to Trinidad and Tobago to taste and try the different food that is there. 

Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Khemlani grew up in a very diverse environment. She says she “has friends of all different backgrounds that have shaped me to be very open minded.” Being able to travel to different countries has shaped her as a person as well as “being welcoming of everyone from everywhere, from all different kinds of backgrounds.” 

When asked if there was a certain dish that is specific to Khemlani’s culture through food, she instantly had a response, doubles. Khemlani’s grandparents are from India, and her parents as well as her have grown up in Trinidad. Being Indian and Caribbean, this dish represents both of her cultures. It is described as “two pieces of fried dough, layered on top of each other, hence the name Doubles. The filling is chickpeas with a bunch of different sauces. Doubles is the Caribbean version of a dish you mainly get on the streets of India, called Chole bhature.” This dish really captures both of her cultures together. 

Through the variety of clubs at JWU, there is a multitude of cultures that share food from many different areas within the world. Khemlani, being vice president of Cooking Asia here on campus, values that the club tries to bring a lot of Asian culture to the students at JWU. “The cultural clubs at JWU try to do a really good job of bringing cultural awareness to JWU. As a PWI (predominantly white university), culture is not very diverse within the school itself. Having those clubs to bring that awareness to those different cultures and let people diversify themselves, we try to do a good job of bringing that culture to the school itself,” shares Khemlani. 

Khemlani agrees with the idea that food is a way in which you’re able to connect with the people you care about, saying “This is definitely very similar within my family.” Khemlani shares how she talks to her mom on the phone about dishes that she misses, and wants to have when she comes home in the summer. 

“Food brings us together,” states Khemlani. Spending time with her extended family, she would enjoy family meals four days out of the week together. They would meet at her house, and her grandmother would make traditional Indian meals that she grew up eating. Khemlani shares that “food does have a part to play in bringing families together in that sense. Some of our fondest memories have been just eating together, enjoying that time together, while bonding over the food that we eat. It definitely has a part to play in the family aspect.”